


Heart Of Gold

by toopliss_chewtoy



Series: HiJack Drabbles [23]
Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies), Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Jack's powers are like canon, M/M, Modern magic AU, repost from tumblr, touch starved jack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-21
Updated: 2019-05-21
Packaged: 2020-03-09 05:59:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18910978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toopliss_chewtoy/pseuds/toopliss_chewtoy
Summary: The spirit of winter was captured decades ago, but even in this world so intimately acquainted with magic, he was an oddity. A specimen to be studied by science… until a boy wanders into his prison.





	Heart Of Gold

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written for HiJack Week Summer 2017, but when going through my archives, I saw it hadn't been posted here yet. Since I like it quite a lot, I thought I'd put it up still.

Even is this world so acquainted with magic, he was an oddity. A danger to be studied by science until he died of age or an experiment gone wrong and they could dissect him. Their number one specimen.

The collection of concentric circles and lines on the floor glowed a faint blue. Inside the innermost circle was enough room for a mattress and covers and some furniture. He could walk around. But no flying; he couldn’t fly here. The symbols on the walls made sure of that. They weighed him down, forcing him to stay on the ground. Other marks kept the wind away. Scientists don’t like their papers fluttering around after all.

They’d tried to make him comfortable, to soothe their conscience. But any object that would enter his prison was frozen solid. That little part of the world was still under his control, at least, but his powers ended where the innermost circle began. The lines channeled universal powers, intertwined in complex patterns. Circles withing circles. A stray straight line here and there, seemingly random yet with a distinct purpose. An unknowing onlooker might call it beautiful. Elegant in it’s approach, and nifty in its execution; a work of art, even.

To Jack it was only to things. Suppression and captivity.

It was subjugation to their control.

He could not escape. He could not stop them. All he could do was wait. Maybe Man in Moon would take pity on him at some point.

He looked up through the skylight in the tip of the domed roof. The moon was right there, shining down on him. Mocking him.

The doors swooshed open smoothly. His head snapped in the direction and he crouched low.

No warders came rushing in, like he’d expected. No technicians, nor any scientists. Just a child. The kid was lanky and thin, and he had the careful gait of someone that  _knew_  he wasn’t supposed to be here.

So far the human child only had eyes for what was on the floor. So much so, that Jack doubted he’d even been noticed yet. The human knelt at the edge of the outermost of the concentric circles, studying the edge. There were little symbols withing the broad lines themselves, Jack knew. Was he reading them? Was he a warder after all?! Perhaps some acolyte… Arrogant child, coming here alone.

Jack’s powers flared. A wall of razor sharp ice shot at the boy, ready to impale him thousandfold.

Of course the protective barriers held. Lines lit up brightly and certain parts of his magical prison lit up with white light, negating all power. The ice didn’t even reach a third of the way. It did serve some purpose though, as the kid was obviously scared. He’d fallen back on his ass, gaping at Jack, eyes wide in what Jack hoped was paralyzing fear. The temperature in the room had dropped several degrees, despite the protective magic.

Jack scowled at his unwanted visitor, but he boy didn’t move. The atmosphere was tense. Jack stayed still.

Eventually the kid spoke. He sounded young, and his voice was nasal.

“Jökul Frosti…” he breathed in awe.

Jack’s eyes went wide and his shoulders relaxed some. This boy knew his name. His real name, from times long ago. No-one here called him that, ever.

The ice spirit nodded slowly. Yes, he was Jökul Frosti, spirit of winter.

“I’m Hiccup,” the boy said from the edge. He stood again, seemingly no longer afraid. “My mom works here.”

“Does she-” Jack cleared his throat. His voice was cold and raspy. He was surprised he could still talk at all; he hadn’t tried in decades. “Does she study me?”

“I don’t know. She doesn’t tell.”

The boy stared at Jack with the same intense curiosity with which he’d studied the magic of this prison. Then he did something that Jack could only describe as incredibly stupid: he stepped over the first circle. The child kept looking at Jack as much as he could, only breaking eye-contact to peek down so he didn’t step on anything. What was he doing? He just kept advancing, ever so slowly, towards the center.

Soon he’d be close enough to freeze, despite the barriers. Hiccup seemed to realize too and stopped, looking at Jack questioningly.

The spirit cocked his head and frowned. What did he want?

“May I?”

“What.” It came out more menacing than he’d intended. His visitor flinched.

“May I come closer?” The human clarified.

“Why?” Jack shifted uncomfortably on his feet. No-one ever asked his permission.

“Because you…” Hiccup hesitated. His breath fogged in front of him with every word he spoke. “… you seem lonely.”

Jack wanted to scoff, but no sound came out. This kid could have come up with any excuse, but he was either very bad at making things up, or he really meant what he was saying. This was ridiculous. Jack wasn’t lonely. Right? Was he? He thought about it, but he wasn’t even sure he was even feeling anything anymore.

But the child, he… made Jack feel? He nodded for  him to come closer. They met right at the edge of the circle, where Jack could feel its power humming right in front of his face. The last line between the embodiment of winter and a human obviously too naive for his own good. His eyes were wide, but not with fear. It was impossible to tell their colour in the dim light, but they were  _alive,_ burning with an endless curiosity.

“You used to make children laugh,” the boy whispered. “In the tales of old. Are they true?”

“I don’t know.” Jack lied. “Too long ago.”

For a moment they stare at each other, frozen in time and space, in a meeting too surreal for words. Outside, the wind howled, but it could not enter, cut off by a veil of magic. Jack studied his guest’s face in the pale moonlight from above and the faint glow from below. Underneath the long-ish hair wasn’t really the face of a child. He was just small, which made Jack mistake him for younger. He was smiling kindly. Jack wanted to copy him, but his mouth wouldn’t quite move the way he wanted so he gave up lest he looked creepy.

Finally Hiccup stirred, slowly raising his hand, reaching for Jack. The spirit didn’t move. There was no threat in the movement, and he had no intention to stop Hiccup. On the contrary.

Slowly, Hiccup extended his hand. The moment he crossed the final line, his face contorted in pain. His hand jerked back to safety right away. Steam rose from his fingers.

Jack gasped. He’d forgotten about the cold.

“Sorry! Are you okay?”

“It’s all right,” Hiccup reassured the spirit. “Just a sting.”

Jack willed the temperature to go up and reached for the human hand just outside the circle. At the very edge, Jack could go no further; the circle was like a wall to him. He pushed against it, lighting up the wards, until Hiccup met the gesture, passing through the prison effortlessly. Jack softly gasped when their fingers touched. Hiccup was warm, almost hot to the touch. His fingertips were softer than anything this dark, cold prison had to offer. Jack rubbed his thumb over the inside of Hiccup’s hand, following the lines like a fortune teller. There was some callous too, Jack felt.

Suddenly, he yearned for warmth. Gently, he guided the hand to his face. He hesitated to press it against his cheek… but Hiccup had no such reservations. When he touched Jack’s cheek, the spirit released a shuddering breath.

This was what it felt like to touch a human. It was amazing. Jack closed his eyes and reveled in the moment; his whole world was reduced to that one warm presence on his cheek.

“You’re beautiful.”

He looked up, surprised. “Beautiful?”

Hiccup nodded. Even in the mere magic glow, Jack could see he was blushing. It brought a smile to his face, and he didn’t even have to try not to be all creepy either. It was warm and genuine, like he hadn’t felt in nothing short of an eternity.

Hiccup moved his hand and gently caressed Jack’s cheek. He tucked a stray lock of stark white hair behind the spirit’s ear.

“Wow,” he breathed. “I thought it was ice till I touched it,” he confessed.

Why were the fates this cruel? Why did they bring Jack such a tender child? So gentle and kind and full of wonder and hope?

“Why are you crying?” There was worry in Hiccup’s voice, but Jack couldn’t help it. Tears streamed down his face. “Please, don’t cry. Did I do something?”

Jack shook his head. Before he could say anything, he was enveloped by a heat the likes of which he had forgotten even existed in this world. He embraced it. Held it as close as possible. He returned the love he was feeling as best he could as his heart of ice slowly warmed.

He burried his face in the nook of Hiccup’s neck. It smelled of the forests, and warmth. Of home.

“Thank you,” Jack sniveled. “Thank you so much.”

Before Hiccup got a chance to reply, the electric doors opened again, followed by hurried footsteps.

“Hiccup!”

Both looked up from their embrace. Jack recognized the woman; it was one of the scientists here. She wasn’t a bad person.

“Hiccup, please, step away from him,” the woman urged the boy, eerily calm. Hiccup swallowed, obviously compelled to listen. He let go.

“Please,” Jack whispered. “Don’t.”

“Don’t worry, Jökul,” the boy put on a brave smile. “I’ll be back. You won’t be alone.” He looked at the woman. “Right, mom?”

“I think we can arrange something,” she said with a thoughtful nod.

“See?” Hiccup said. “It’s okay. I won’t be long.”

With great reluctance, Jack released the teen. The moment he let go, the warmth started to fade. By the time Hiccup was halfway out the circle, it was all but gone already.

* * *

 

Hiccup didn’t return. Jack counted the days and nights, keeping track in the ice on the floor.

He asked for the child over and over, but they never listened.

It had been two weeks since his hug when he spotted that female scientist among the others. He saw her through the window to the control room. Jack jumped to his feet and banged on the barrier, making the symbols light up.

“WHERE IS HICCUP?!” he roared.

The woman startled. It was her all right.

“WHY ARE YOU KEEPING HIM FROM ME?!”

She turned around and disappeared.

“What? Where are you going?!” Jack yelled at the top of his lungs. “I know you can hear me!” He slammed against the barriers with both hands, shooting out spikes of ice. The spikes dissolved right away, but Jack’s anger did not. “COME BACK HERE!! ANSWER ME!!”

No-one responded. The only sign they even heard him was one of the operators picking up the phone in the control room. Probably calling for the warders, just in case. So they could contain him and keep him subdued. The fucking cowards!  _They_ were the monsters! Not him!

Raw power surged through his body, fueled by rage. The temperature dropped so fast inside his prison that hail appeared at the edges. The air started to spin faster. Outside the winds were howling - Jack could feel it.

“Come to me!” He commanded. “WIND!”

The skylight shattered. A storm ignited within the domed room, plunging the temperatures below zero instantly.

Jack roared and fought with all his might. Every ounce of strength he had was thrown into his ice, shooting it further and further into the room. All symbols were ablaze with light. The floors, the walls, every magical tether was being strained trying to contain the warring spirit. The light was so bright it blinded him, but he didn’t stop. With his eyes closed he battled on, slamming all his might against his immaterial restraints.

All of the sudden, the wind was gone, along with most of Jack’s power. Shortly after, a shock of pain, and all went black.

* * *

 

The spirit of winter had been labeled too dangerous to study. Right after our first meeting, I wasn’t allowed back in. I’d been upset, of course… but Jökul even more so. In his anger, the spirit had shown his full power. Quite frankly the warders had been scared shitless. The reports say the spirit was about to crack the containment circles. They did the only thing they could think of: seal him away forever.

But I know better.

I know he’s not a monster.

Ever since that night, I’ve been working to get back to him. When they sealed him away, I settled for a longer route instead. Etheral studies and warding are an odd combination, but somehow I convinced enough professors along the way to pull it off. Every project, every bit of research - it was always aimed at getting back to him.

Jack frost has a heart of gold, not ice.

When I finally got permission to revive him, I was beyond myself. But I’m not going to lie… I was scared too. Sealing magic can do weird things to a person. Who knows what a decade of being locked in space and time has done to this gentle spirit.

Still, I couldn’t stop now. This was what I’d been living for for the past ten years. There was no going back.

The seal was broken, and the ice thawed. I was right there besides him in the center of the concentric circles.

When he opened his eyes, I was the first one he saw.

“Jökul.” I smiled. “I’m back.”


End file.
